or so many of life’s big moments, timing is everything.

After leading the union through the Great Recession; winning a no-holds-barred battle against a sitting governor; defanging a test-and-punish evaluation system; spearheading a ‘no’ vote on a Constitutional Convention; cementing NYSUT’s inner-strength after the Janus decision; and helping to keep students and members safe during a deadly pandemic, NYSUT President Andy Pallotta looked around, took a deep breath and concluded: It was the right moment to retire.

“We’ve accomplished so much. Thanks to the strength and commitment of our members and leaders, NYSUT is in a much, much better place,” Pallotta said. “There will always be challenges. That’s the nature of politics. Still, I felt like this was the right time to pass the torch.”

hile praising the executive budget’s historic commitment to Foundation Aid, NYSUT President Andy Pallotta urged lawmakers to add funding for several crucial initiatives to help schools cope with the pandemic’s lingering effects and severe staffing shortages.

In K-12 testimony before the legislative budget committees, Pallotta noted much of the good news in the governor’s budget plan was overshadowed by a disturbing plan to expand corporate charter schools. A number of lawmakers voiced concerns that charter schools are not accountable, cherry-pick students and siphon funding from traditional public schools. NYSUT has also unveiled its “New Deal for Higher Education” campaign calling for a significant investment in SUNY, CUNY and community college campuses. (See page 14.)

On K-12 education funding, Pallotta thanked lawmakers for their partnership to fully fund school aid, with a 10 percent statewide increase. “This will make a real difference around the state,” he said.

he proposal in this year’s executive budget to increase the number of corporate charter schools in New York will undermine public schools and undo the historic investment that’s been made in Foundation Aid.

The charter school industry can put financial burdens on traditional school districts, diverting millions in Foundation Aid funding to unaccountable charters.

Let’s keep public schools as the center of our communities.

• In 21 of New York’s most charter-saturated districts, 61 percent of Foundation Aid increases over the last five years went to charters.
• These districts could have invested $2 billion in student supports. Instead, they were mandated to pay $1.23 billion to corporate charters.
• The executive budget proposal clears the way for up to 106 new charters. Public schools could lose millions more in funding.

or South Country teacher Loraine Richardson McCray, her student loan debt felt like a life sentence.

“My debt was so substantial — and just kept growing — that I figured I’d die with it,” she said.

All that changed when a colleague suggested she attend an online student debt workshop sponsored by NYSUT.

“The guidance and support was nothing short of divine intervention,” McCray said. “At the end of the process, I had a six-figure balance reduced to zero. No more payments to make — EVER!”

A Brooklyn native, she recalled moving into her SUNY Stony Brook housing with black garbage bags. The first in her family to attend college, she worked five different jobs as an undergraduate but still needed to take out loans. McCray racked up more loans to earn a master’s degree in TESOL and advanced degrees in technology systems and school building leadership.

“As the years went on, I just kept taking forbearance — postponing my payments and hoping my finances would improve,” said McCray, an English as a New Language teacher for 25 years. “But having two children, going through a difficult divorce and struggling to pay the everyday bills, the interest just kept growing to an astronomical amount. Two thirds of my debt was compounding interest.”

he Rochester Teachers Association overwhelmingly approved a new three-year contract in January, notching wins in salary increases, retention incentives, hourly rate increases and other key areas — 80 percent of RTA members voted in favor of the new contract.

“This agreement is good for students and fair to teachers,” said Rochester TA President Adam Urbanski. “I want to thank RTA members for your solidarity, for your active involvement, for your unswerving support, and for all that you continue to do for our students.”

The agreement comes after a long, hard-fought battle for the RTA and its negotiating team. The last contract with the district was signed in 2016 and members had been working under extensions to that agreement. Impasse was declared in 2021 and August 2022 under previous district administration. Negotiations picked up steam with then-Interim Superintendent Carmine Peluso, who was named permanently as superintendent the same week the contract agreement was announced.

he impact of music on emotions, mental health and wellness was the focus of a February Black History Month event facilitated by NYSUT Secretary-Treasurer J. Philippe Abraham. “Sounds of Wellness,” part of NYSUT’s Many Threads, One Fabric social justice series, shared the important uses of music when it comes to managing stress and reducing fatigue.

“The goal is to gain a deeper awareness of the role that music plays in promoting wellness,” said Abraham. “It’s been proven that listening to music increases blood flow to regions of the brain that produce chemicals like dopamine and serotonin — music has the power to evoke emotional responses in listeners.”

In addition to promoting wellness and mental health, music also played a key role in the historic and dangerous journeys enslaved Africans followed to freedom, continued Abraham. “Courageous freedom seekers used songs to communicate messages, give directions and warn others of dangers and obstacles along the route.”

YSUT’s Social Justice Academy will hold its first session in early March in Albany. An initiative of NYSUT’s Many Threads, One Fabric series, which explores racial justice, diversity and equity issues, the goal of the academy is to train local activists to form social justice committees within their home locals.

“We want to give members the tools and resources they need to be a force for positive change within their communities,” explained J. Philippe Abraham, NYSUT secretary-treasurer, whose office coordinates social justice initiatives for the union.

“By providing academy participants with the resources, tools and connections they need to create a successful human rights committee, or enhance an existing one, we hope to work toward creating a world where diversity is celebrated, equity is the norm and oppression is eradicated.”

Tell me about your job and why you love what you do.

My duties are to maintain a safe and structured environment for the students to learn by monitoring student behavior and providing therapeutic interventions. I also make sure they transit to and from their classes in a timely manner, keep hallways clear and help students deal with issues and challenges that arise throughout the day. I like to use conversation as my therapeutic method to de-escalate a situation, but I am also trained to provide physical therapeutic methods as necessary for the student’s safety.

I love what I do because I am able to reach kids outside of the classroom. I can relate to a lot of my kids because oftentimes we come from similar backgrounds and even when we don’t, they know there is no judgment passed upon them. I love knowing that I can make a difference by turning a bad day into a better one.

What does belonging to a union mean to you?

Being a part of a union is like being a part of a team. I love knowing that if I need any help I can reach out to another teammate for guidance. Solidarity is not just a word, it is who we are. As a football player, I know a lot about being on a team and this is what my union is to me.

hen educators Matt Haynes and Tyler Eckhoff developed the “Civics and Social Justice” elective, they were initially attracted to the content.

“We were just excited about the content in general, but then when we sat down and started to plan it out, we realized what this course could be,” said Eckhoff, a social studies teacher at Tri-Valley High School and member of the Tri-Valley Teachers Association. “This course could be a way to get kids engaged in the community and empower them to make a difference.”

Haynes and Eckhoff’s new class, launched in 2021 as part of the State Education Department’s Seal of Civic Readiness pilot, prompted juniors and seniors to identify a local issue, research its history, analyze past attempts to solve it and then formulate an action plan for tackling it. All semester, students worked on issues they cared about, including the opioid epidemic, lack of public transit, immigration and income inequality.

orth Syracuse teacher Matt Root is used to being the helper — not the one asking for help.

“How in God’s name do you do that?” he thought to himself. “That’s a really big ask.”

But what happened next surprised him, as family members, friends and North Syracuse Education Association President John Kuryla spread the word via social media and emails. Community members, some who were complete strangers, stepped up to answer screening questionnaires and get tested — even educators in a neighboring district joined the effort.

“They won’t tell you how many people stepped up but I heard from others there were a lot of volunteers,” said Root, who was well known in the community for his 26 years as a high school history teacher and starting a districtwide food program for the needy.

hen the student arrived in the nurse’s office at New Rochelle High School, the complaint was the same as most every other person who turns up there: they did not feel well.

However, it soon became clear that this was no run-of-the-mill malady.

Wendy Miceli, a registered nurse and member of New Rochelle Federation of United School Employees, recalled that the student was disoriented, frightened and admitted to using a vape cartridge.

With the assistance of her colleagues, Miceli took the student to an exam room. “I took the vitals, which were unstable,” Miceli said. She decided to call 911. In the time it took for her to cross the office and dial 911, the student lost consciousness.

YSUT delegates from across New York are gearing up for the statewide union’s annual convention. And they’ll be met with a packed schedule of elections, resolutions and events both before and after the conference.

The 2023 Representative Assembly will be held April 28–29 in Albany. Delegates will elect NYSUT officers, members of the NYSUT Board of Directors, an NEA Director and Alternate NEA Director, and state delegates to the AFT Convention.

(See nysut.org/elections2023. Member login required.)

The convention will kick off with an expanded Local and Retiree Council Presidents Conference, held April 27–28. RA delegates will help set the union agenda for the next year as they debate more than 30 resolutions on pre-K through postgraduate education, legislation, health care, organizing and retirement.

Submitted by the NYSUT Board of Directors.

NOTE: Strikethrough indicates deletions. Underscore indicates additions.

Article VI — Membership Dues

± Locals paid on a 10-month basis shall follow the 10-month salary schedule. Locals paid on a 12-month basis may follow the 12-month salary schedule. Unless otherwise specified, all dues changes commence on September 1.

nion for Life isn’t just a slogan — it’s a fact. And retiree consultants Ruth Shippee, RC 9 & 10, and Sheryl Baker Delano, RC 12 & 13, are sharing that message with in-service members throughout their regions, one meeting at a time.

After realizing that many in-service members weren’t aware NYSUT had a retiree services department, let alone the benefits it offers in retirement, the pair met with Capital Region Staff Director Mike Rowan to develop a plan to get the message out. “In-service members often retire and think their union involvement is over,” said Delano. “We want them to know their involvement doesn’t end. NYSUT offers a lot in retirement.”

Rowan arranged for the pair to meet with area labor relations specialists and helped them schedule speaking gigs at regional in-service local president meetings. In short 15-minute presentations they detailed how retiree groups are structured — from broad retiree councils to formal and informal retiree chapters and groups — and encouraged in-service members to join their local retiree organization and stay active after retiring.

5 Questions for Erika Bezio

You serve as liaison for the Saranac Lake Community School. How did you make the transition from classroom educator?

I’m officially a classroom teacher on special assignment. I attended a district focus group about community schools. There was an opportunity to become involved and I was ready for the challenge. I started in the 2018-19 school year. This is my 19th year with the district and doing this work as a former classroom educator is a gift; I already know many of the families from my years of teaching.

What’s the first step districts should take when starting a community school?

Designating a staff person who’s committed to the community school model, and who can do the work, is important. You need to have someone who can take a broad look at what’s already happening in the district, to help students and families, and develop a master plan to support that work. That ensures details don’t fall through the cracks and keeps the program sustainable. I report directly to the superintendent, which helps us maintain a districtwide perspective. Saranac Lake is a districtwide community school.

It’s What We Do

he buying power of a membership composed of more than 650,000 NYSUT members generates significant savings on its own. However, members that utilize either payroll or pension deduction as a payment option when purchasing NYSUT Member Benefits-endorsed programs can save even more — up to 20 percent.

Payroll or pension deduction offers the following:

• You never have to worry about forgetting premium due dates or deal with the inconvenience of writing and mailing out checks.
• Easier on your budget. Annual premiums are divided into smaller payments and deducted from your paycheck or monthly pension benefit.
• Payroll/pension deduction payments are good for the environment as the printing and mailing of paper bills is eliminated.
• Additional savings come with most of our programs when payroll or pension deduction is utilized.

The retirement plans administered by the New York State and Local Employees’ Retirement System guarantee members a monthly lifetime pension benefit when they retire.

The benefit you receive depends on your specific retirement plan and membership tier. You can look up your plan using our Find Your NYSLRS Retirement Plan Publication tool at bit.ly/plan-publication.

Your pension benefit amount also depends on the payment option you choose at retirement. You can choose from several options. For example:

• The Single Life Allowance provides the maximum amount payable during your lifetime. However, if you choose this option, you cannot designate a beneficiary to receive monthly pension payments after you die.
• Other payment options, such as Joint Allowance options, give you a reduced monthly benefit, but provide a continuing payment to a beneficiary when you die. The amount you and your beneficiary receive is based on the percentage of your pension you wish to leave for your beneficiary, as well as your and your beneficiary’s birthdates.